The Nineteenth Century: The Saga of Equestria
by mint20
Summary: The year is 1806. The Corps of Discovery, headed by the legendary explorers Lewis and Clark, is currently holed up in Fort Clatsop. However, their presence in ancient Griffon territory does not go unnoticed. Meanwhile, in Equestria, Celestia and Luna sit comfortably on their thrones. They never could have seen it coming, but the ideas of the West were about to descend on them.
1. Author's Foreword

Hello, fellow Bronies and Pegasisters,

Mint20 here. This story, named _The Nineteenth Century: The Saga of Equestria,_ is inspired by the _Pony Demand Mod_ by Gakumerasarafor the grand strategy game, Victoria 2. (Available here: . ?801756-Pony-Demand-Mod-(PDM%F70-Minimod)) The idea behind this mod is that Equestria has quietly existed on the West Coast of North America (California, Nevada, Utah, ect), right under everybody's noses, until finally being discovered in 1816. Then, seeing the threat posed by the European civilizations, and the United States, Princess Celestia goes to Europe to learn from the humans. When she returns, she launches Equestria into an era of bold innovation, quickly bringing Equestria up to Europe's level by 1836, when the game begins. Throughout the game, the player must deal with the rise of liberalism, external threats posed by the United States and their thrice-damned "Manifest Destiny," parley with Griffonia, deal with Communists and Fascism, and finally, worldwide war and conflict as the "Great Wars" emerge, all the way to 1936. I recommend this mod to all who wish for an very challenging yet incredibly fun strategy game with ponies! There's something just so satisfying about beating the ^#!* out of my home country as a race of magical, talking ponies...

Now, since I am a writer and can do stuff like that, I will be taking quite a few liberties with both the source material and real history. For instance, the Kingdom of Griffonia will be discovered before Equestria, in 1806 with the Lewis and Clark expedition. Equestria will know of the humans (and the humans, Equestria), but will not be discovered in and of itself until the above-mentioned 1816, with an incident that is basically the "oh crap" moment for Equestria. Finally, the history will be somewhat decelerated as I hope to write about Equestria beyond the 1800's. Maybe (if Equestria survives the USA, of course) this would even go into the Twenty-First Century? Leave thoughts below.

Yours in all things Pony,

Mint20

PS: Disregard the official map of Equestria. If I can figure out how, I'll upload pictures of the map shown in-game.

PPS: When this gets started, _please_ give me some feedback. You would not _believe _the amount of research that went into this. And share it with your friends!


	2. Strange Visitors

Note: The USA flag in 1806 had fifteen stars and _fifteen _stripes. That's not a typo. Look it up yourself, if you doubt me :)

Note 2: Don't count on this speed for updates. I do have to sleep, after all. :)

Strange Visitors

_The Nineteenth Century: The Saga of Equestria_

March 21, 1806

All was peaceful and normal in the nation of Equestria, as Celestia finished raising the sun over Canterlot. The light slowly brightened as the moon yielded its position in the sky to the sun, and the white marble of Canterlot gleamed as the sun asserted its position in the sky, gently chasing the moon back to rest. all and all, it was a rather remarkable sight, made even more remarkable that Celestia no long controlled both sun and moon. Rather, standing beside her was her younger sister, returned after her terrible thousand-year banishment. Remembering that terrible time of war and hate, Celestia shivered. _It is good that I no longer have to worry about that,_ she thought to herself, relaxing and focusing on enjoying the present moment, the heat that accompanied the heavenly body. Luna mirrored her actions, and the two alicorns stood in silence and simply enjoyed the moment.

After what Celestia guessed was about ten minutes, Luna broke the silence. "I wonder how Twilight and her friends are faring," she muttered, almost to herself.

If anypony else had said that, Celestia would have responded with a comment about how strong Twilight was, and how she could watch out for herself. However, this was Luna, her little sister. Celestia did not have to be strong around her.

"Honestly? Sometimes I worry about that too," admitted Celestia. "Every time I send her on a mission, I worry that, maybe _this_ time, I gave her too much. Then again, this mission is _nothing _like Tirek. And the King guaranteed me that she would be protected and kept out of harm's way."

"Indeed," replied Luna. "But there are so many things between here and Griffonia. So much could happen to them in that distance."

Deciding that the time to share her emotions had past, the Princess of the Sun stood up a little straighter and said, "Now, we need to stop worrying and trust Twilight. She knows what she is doing."

As if on cue, the door to the internal chambers flew open and a guard charged out. "Princesses!" he said, in between pants. "News...from the...Kingdom...of Griffonia."

Celestia jumped, ever so slightly. Re-composing herself, she asked, "Well, what news is this?"

"Princess, Twilight...has...returned. She wants...to speak with you...right away. She says its urgent."

_(Two days earlier [March 19, 1806]…)_

The door to the Griffon King's chambers boomed shut behind Twilight, who sighed. Negotiations were never easy, and the Griffon King - King Odrynn - was the most stubborn creature Twilight had ever come across. With the possible exception of Applejack, of course.

"So, how did it go?" asked one of the ponies in front of her. Unsurprisingly, the young Princess's five dear friends had waited for her right outside the door.

"Not too bad, but not very good, either," answered Twilight. "King Odrynn has an annoying habit of knowing what he wants and pursuing it to the end of the world, though."

Nopony commented on that as the group slowly left the King's palace and walked into the courtyard. Despite a somewhat more primitive style than Equestria, the Griffonian buildings managed to communicate a rough splendor. Instead of white marble, like Canterlot, the capital of Griffonia was constructed out of wood taken from the massive sequoias that dotted the nearby landscape. Stone buildings were rare, with the only ones of note being the walls that surrounded the capital. On a normal day, the streets of the capital were mildly busy with various griffons attending to their affairs. Business would be open, and griffons would be out and enjoying the sun, with their families.

Apparently, though, this day was no ordinary day. The streets of the city were completely devoid of any trace of business or civilians at all, really. Rather, a large-looking army of griffons, some six thousand strong, was mobilizing, grabbing weapons, and the like. The six pony friends looked at each other uncertainly, then ran over to the mobilizing troops. In the front, there was a griffon with a helmet that had a red plume, who Twilight assumed was the general or some kind of officer.

Arriving next to the general, Twilight asked, "With all due respect, what is going on here, sir?"

The general turned to Twilight, saw that she was a pony, and snorted quietly. Then, he said, "Your Highness, it appears that _someone_ has built a fortress on Griffonian territory. _You_ wouldn't happen to know anything about that, would you?"

Slightly shocked that the general would suggest that, Twilight said, "No, of course not."

"Now, now, General Tailfeather," said a deep, commanding voice to Twilight's right, "let's not start throwing accusations around. Princess Twilight and her friends are our guests. It will not do to start accusing them when even _I _barely know what is happening." There was no doubt. The voice belonged to King Odrynn. "Besides, it's highly unlikely that this is some military operation by the ponies. It's rather close to the capital. No force of ponies could have possibly founded a fort so close and reminded undetected. No, this is most likely some small expeditionary force by an unknown power. Changelings, maybe?" He stared off in the distance for a moment. "The point, General, is do not instantly blame the ponies for this."

"Of course, sir," said the general, bowing his head slightly in shame. "My apologies, Your Highness."

"No offense taken," said Twilight, though she was slightly disappointed in the blatant racism and suspicion shown in the comment, while she was impressed with the King's open-mindedness. "Now, shall we proceed?"

"Of course," said the Griffon King smoothly, walking forward to the head of the army.

Before Twilight followed, though, she turned to her friends. "Stay here."

"What?"

"NO!"

"Ain't happening, sugercube."

Cutting off other protests, Twilight raised her voice slightly and said, "Yes. You guys need to stay here."

"Why?" demanded Rainbow Dash.

"_Because_," Twilight said, "this could quickly become messy if it isn't handled with a level head. Most of you all lack that. And Applejack, you have to make sure Rainbow here doesn't sneak off and follow me anyways."

Rainbow Dash grinned sheepishly, no doubt because she planned to do just that.

"_Forward; March!_" call the call, and the army slowly started to depart.

"No time to debate! Stay here!" said Twilight, then ran off to join the troops, leaving her friends behind, shell-shocked.

_Forty-five minutes later..._

"There it is," muttered the King, mulling over the scenario. Twilight followed his gaze and saw a small wooden complex standing in a semi-thick forest. It did not have any walls, but was compact. Based off of what little Twilight new about military history, it beared a slight amount of resemblance to temporary camps that the ancient earth pony tribe had constructed while on campaign. In the middle of the fort, there appeared to a large flagpole that had a rather unique flag on it. In the upper-left hoof corner, there was a blue field with fifteen white stars on it, Outside the field, starting with red, there was alternating red and white horizontal stripes, fifteen in total.

"Form up in a defensive formation." General Tailfeather said.

"Do _not_ attack," said the King. "Only strike if they do." After a moment, he turned turned to Princess Twilight. "What do you make of that flag?"  
>The Alicorn puzzled over it for a moment, then answered, slowly, "Nothing. I have never seen it or any like it before."<p>

"Changeling trickery?"

Again, Twilight shook her head slowly. "I...I doubt it. If this was a changeling maneuver, we'd be under attack by now."

"True, I suppose," muttered the King. "Shall we make our presence known?"

"I suppose," said Twilight. "That would answer the question if they hostile or not."

A griffon to her left raised a bugle and sounded a call. It was very simple, only two notes, the second higher than the first. It wasn't an order to the troops, rather, it was more like a metaphorical "tap on the shoulder," letting the occupants of the small fort know that there was an army at their gates.

Through the few small windows, Twilight saw the light flutter as there was an explosion of movement. She bounced up and down on her hooves, anxious to see who these new players were.

After a moment, King Odrynn turned to her. "Behind me," he said, stepping in front of her. He motioned, and troops moved forward until they blocked the sight of of the pony princess.

"What? Why?" demanded Twilight.

"I promised Princess Celestia that no harm would come to you. A griffon never breaks his word. Now be silent! There's movement!"

Twilight opened her mouth to protest farther, but an officer of Griffonia stepped forward and gently covered her mouth. She thought about fighting, but decided to bite her tongue for the moment.

Peeking around the griffons standing in front of her, Twilight had to stuff her own hoof in her mouth to stop from gasping.

Walking towards them, barely hiding a look of shock themselves, were two...odd...creatures. Most obviously, they were bipedal, walking on their back legs only. Their front legs split at their ends, forming digits that looked like claws, but were softer and much more flexible. Very little fur covered their bodies, excepting their heads, which had an odd surplus of the stuff. They wore rugged-looking clothes that smelled profusely of dirt and sweat, and looked as if they had been pulled through several miles of mud and dirt. They stood slightly taller than Twilight herself, while the griffon king was a bit taller than both of them. They carried pieces of wood and steel that looked rather like rods.

As they approached, the Griffon King pulled himself up to his full height and said, "Greetings. I am King Odrynn, sovereign ruler of the Kingdom of Griffonia. I would ask you, why, in the name of all things under the sun, did you establish a fort on my territory?"

The being on the left, one that had a head full of black fur, said in a cautious voice, "My name is Meriwether Lewis, and this is William Clark." The one on the right, Clark, bowed his head. "We are the leaders of an exploratory group named the Corps of Discovery, sponsored by the United States."

"The United States...what is this?" asked the King. "I have never heard of it before...this that it's flag?" he asked, gesturing to the flagpole.

"Yes, that is the Stars and Stripes of the United States of America," supplied the one named Clark. He grinned, then said to Lewis, "And we thought staying at this fort would be all dull. Ha!"

"Excuse me, if I may," said the King, sounding more than a little annoyed. "You still haven't answered my question: Why did you establish a fort on my territory? I do _not_ appreciate having this kingdom violated in this way."

Both of the other creatures became more serious. Clark said."My apologies, Your Highness. With all due respect, we had no idea that you were even here. To us, this looked like an empty plot of land."

"You managed to settle down only forty-five minutes from my capital! You expect me to believe that you came here by _accident?_"

"It's the truth."

The King mulled for a few moments, then said, "Alright. Let's say I believe you. What do you want? What is the mission of this so-called 'Corps of Discovery?'"

"Well, our nation, the United States of America, has recently purchased a vast tract of land from another nation, France. We were sent by our leader, President Thomas Jefferson, to scout out and learn exactly what this territory consisted of. We have left the territory our government purchased, and were just charting the nearby area. I image that the President will want to speak to you soon after we return, to open more formal relations."

"Of course, as one leader to another, I would be happy to receive him. I look forward to opening discussions with a new neighbor."

"How about you stay at our fort for a little while?" asked Clark, earning a sideways glance from his companion. "A demonstration of our goodwill."

The King blinked, then said, "Well, I don't suppose it would hurt."

Clark nodded, saying, "It pains me to suggest this, but I ask that if you bring some advisors or generals, you limit them to four. Space is not very abundant in the fort.

"I understand," said Odrynn, scratching his chin. After a moment, he said, "General Tailfeather! Councilor Moonquill! And...Princess Twilight Sparkle, if you will join me, please?"

Twilight jerked slightly in surprise, then slowly walked forward. The rank of griffon soldiers parted before her, and she felt the surprised eyes of the two oddities on her. She suddenly became acutely aware that sweat was starting to gather at the base of her crown, but there was nothing to be done about it now.

"Well," she heard Lewis mutter, "that's the _second_ huge shock today. Do we still have any beer left?"

Directing his words at King Odrynn, Clark asked, with a slight note of suspicion, "Is there a reason you were hiding her?"

"Yes," returned the King. "I wanted to make sure you were not hostile, for I had promised her mentor that she would be kept out of harm's way. And if you anger everybody on the coastline, make sure you do not anger _her,_ for her anger can be...hot."

With that, he led his small party into the wooden fortress, with Lewis and Clark following close behind. Twilight could make out a few yells as officers distributed orders, calling for the troops to pull back and reorganize into a more relaxed formation.

As they entered the fort, Twilight looked around. All in all, the fort was not all that impressive. It was poorly lit, the structures were not quite waterproof, and the parade ground in the middle of all of the buildings was rather small, not well taken care of. It was clear that the fort was thrown together rather hastily, with little regard for aesthetics or looks.

_Rarity would throw a fit,_ she thought to herself, chuckling quietly, as she eyeballed the huge pools of mud that had formed from the ongoing rain.

"Now," said Clark, drawing Twilight's attention away from the fort, "Princess Twilight Sparkle, am I right?"

"Yes," said Twilight, nodding.

"Well, Your Highness, welcome to Fort Clastop. May I ask, how are you related to your brethren?"

Twilight stood stock-still for a moment, feeling a furious blush build up on her cheeks. _Related?_ Stammering slightly, she said, "Oh, n-no, I have no relation to King Odrynn. I-I am acting as an ambassador to the Kingdom of Griffonia. I come from and help lead the Principality of Equestria."

Clark gave a low whistle, whispering "Just how many nations are there on this coast?" Pulling his thoughts together, he smiled and said to Twilight "Well, I am pleased to be made your acquaintance, Princess. Now, shall we begin?"

"Begin? With what?" asked King Odrynn.

"Well, my men have a demonstration for you and your ambassador. If I could just have one moment to get the lazy boys out here…" With that, both Lewis and Clark left what passed for a parade ground and started barking out orders to what must have been other members of their expedition,

There was a long pause, then King Odrynn sighed heavily, saying, "Well, what do you think?"

Councilor Moonquill was the first to speak. "I don't like it," he said, with confidence. "They seem to be hiding something. What, I don't know. But they are definitely hiding it from us."

General Tailfeather nodded his assent, adding, "Maybe they want something from us. Perhaps tribute, maybe some form of territorial concession, I don't know, though."

Twilight thought it over for several moments before saying, "I hate to suggest this, but the General and Councilor seem correct. They _do _seem to want something out of us. If this was just a simple misunderstanding, as they claim, why did they invite us into their fort?"

The King nodded. "I am inclined to agree," he said, "which is why, Princess Twilight, I recommend that you refrain from telling these creatures about the location, size, or anything else about Equestria. Such information would probably only be used against us. As for the rest of us, we should avoid giving away any more information if it can be at all helped."

Twilight wasn't exactly comfortable with the idea of keeping information away from the seemingly-friendly Lewis and Clark, but it was necessary. She nodded her assent, but stilled her tongue as she saw a large group of the creatures filing out of the various buildings in a precise, mechanical way.

As they marched out of what Twilight assumed to be a mess hall, or maybe a barracks/quarters, she noticed that they all carried the long pole-like objects that Lewis and Clark held. Something in the back of her mind, an idea from a book she had read, began to stir. _Are those…?_

Her question was answered for her when the creatures lowered their rods, pointed at a small stone wall, and triggered them. There was a loud explosion, and large bits of stone flew off of the wall, which bared several new holes in it.

_Guns._ Twilight had read about them in a few books on military theory. The proposition that explosions could fling bits of metal fast enough to destroy stone was not a new idea, for military researchers had been tossing around the idea for years. However, Equestrian attempts to divine the secret of these weapons was only followed half-heartedly, as the nation had little to no need for them. That isn't to say the gunpowder initiative had completely failed, for the Royal Guard did have a few cannons, but the design of the smaller, hoof-held weapons had eluded Equestrian scientists. And again, with no real need for them, the nation had not aggressively pursued their development, preferring to invest more in education and administration.

Wary, the griffons and pony looked to each other, and nodded once.

King Odrynn stood up, saying, "Well, that is very enlightening," he said, "What is the purpose of this demonstration?"

Lewis responded, "We wished to show you that we can be valuable allies. An alliance between us could be greatly...beneficial." Was it Twilight's imagination, or did she detect a hint of something more sinister in his voice?

The King must have heard it too, for he said "I see...May I have a moment with my council?"

Without waiting for a response, the King returned to his fellow, and, together with Twilight, trotted over to the far corner of the field, where they discussed in hush tones.

"It is clear," said Moonquill. "They wish to intimate us into servitude!"

"General?"

"I agree," said Tailfeather. "We must strike! No matter how strong their weapons are, we can just overwhelm them with the troops we brought. If we defeat them now, maybe others won't be as foolhardy."

"Wait!" interjected Twilight. "Maybe they _are _trying to intimate us. Maybe they aren't. But if we strike now, even if we win, this 'United States' will simply send more missions. Let them go, but we should end these talks soon."

King Odrynn nodded, saying, "That makes sense. Okay, let us finish this."

The party slowly returned to the expedition's leaders, where they stood expectantly. King Odrynn said smoothly, "A situation has arisen in my kingdom that requires my attention. If you will excuse me, I must return to my capital. I...look forward...to meeting from representatives from your 'United States' again."

The two leaders looked at each other, then Lewis said, "You're leaving? Before you go, accept this gifts as a token of America's friendship." He then yelled over his shoulder, "Get the gifts, maggots! Let's go!"

The explorers scrambled over themselves to move to a building at the left. When they came out of the building, the explorers were laid down with many trinkets and items they carried.

"Now," Lewis said, "we have three muskets and fifty bullets. Give them to whomever you wish, but use them sparingly, for bullets run out fast."

_Just how often do they use these guns?_

"Also, we have medal for you, from the President of the United States, as a gesture of his desire for peace and friendship," added Clark. "We also have one for you, Princess Twilight Sparkle."

Somewhat reluctantly, the griffon King bowed his head and accepted the silver medal that Lewis placed around his neck. Twilight followed suit, and she was given a bronze medal. On one side, there was a bust of a similar creature to Lewis, but Twilight assumed that it was this President Jefferson that the explorers spoke so highly of. She turned it over, and saw that the back has a bust as well: this one with two clasped arms.

The explorer stepped back with a pleased expression, they had only one gift left. "Now, please also take this," he said, extending a triangle of cloth.

King Odrynn took it carefully, as if it might explode. Slowly unfolding it, he asked, "...Wha...Why...Why did you give me the flag of your nation?"

The cordial atmosphere vanished instantly, replaced with one that made Twilight shiver apprehensively.

The two explores looked at each other warily, then back at the King, also conscious of sudden shift in the diplomatic atmosphere. "We…" began Lewis.

"This is an outrage!" exclaimed General Tailfeather.

"We are no one's property! We cannot be claimed!" added Councilor Moonquill.

"Be still, both of you!" King Odrynn said sharply. He turned to Lewis and Clark and said, "Against the advice of my council, I gave you a fair hearing. Despite the fact you violated Griffonia's territory, I listened to your side of the story. I trusted you with both my life and that of Princess Twilight Sparkle. And now, you go and betray that trust by trying to impose yourself on me and my kingdom by forcing _this_ on me." With this, he threw the flag of the United States on the ground, earning a gasp from the creatures, Twilight would later learn that they were called humans. He threw the muskets, bullets, and finally, his medal on top of it all.

Clark quickly snapped up the flag as the King concluded his angry tirade. "I ask you, give me _one_ good reason that I shouldn't take the three thousand loyal troops stationed outside this fort _right now_ and storm it. Quickly."

To their credit, the humans recovered quickly. Clark turned to Twilight, with something of a pleading expression on his face. "Your Highness, we simp-"

Twilight, making a split-second decision to follow the model of Princess Celestia, held up a single hoof to silence him. Quietly, her mind is turmoil.

_What now? Dang it, we were _this close _to making it out safe, and they have to go spring _this _on us. Well…_ Princess Twilight, doing her utmost to maintain an outward appearance of calm, turned to King Odrynn and said, "Your Highness, I do not approve of your threat."

The King, having calmed down somewhat, nodded slightly sheepishly. "Yes, my apologies for my outburst."

Twilight was not yet done, though. She turned and fixed a glare on Clark. "This doesn't mean I approve of your actions. I actually think what you did was a direct attack on Griffonia's sovereignty. However, I really do not want this day to end in violence."

Clark bowed his head slightly, but neither Lewis nor Clark said anything.

"Let's get out of here," Twilight muttered, taking off her medal and dropping it on the ground.

_March 21, 1806_

"...and that's when I left," said Twilight.

Princess Celestia sat back, mulling over the situation. "Are you sure? Nothing else transpired, no matter how minor?"

"...No, Princess, nothing."

Celestia felt a flash of light-humored irritation at Twilight's formality. "Now, now, Twilight, you don't need to call me Princess anymore. After all, you're one too."

Twilight blushed, but said nothing.

"Back to the matter at hoof, though," said Celestia, continuing to mull. "This is rather discontenting."

"I'll say," Twilight said. "I talked with King Odrynn. He seemed to agree that some kind of answer to this threat needs to be prepared, but was reluctant to open talks with me, saying that he felt it best if either you or Luna helped me."

"He's wiser than I gave him credit for," said Celestia. "Alright. I suppose I will go open diplomatic talks with Griffonia soon."

"Princess?"

Celestia sighed, but gave up. Clearly, Twilight was not about to change her ways.

"Yes?"

"What are we going to do about those Americans?"

Princess Celestia was expecting the question, but she still didn't like hearing it. Letting out another heavy sigh, she stood up and walked over to the newly-installed stained glass window, this one depicting Twilight and her friends triumphing over Lord Tirek in the Great Battle of the Everfree Forest. Gazing past it, she saw the sun shining brightly, and the entire city of Canterlot seemed to shine back.

_So beautiful,_ she thought to herself. In the streets, the ponies of Canterlot were out and about, doing business as usual. They were totally unaware of the threat that hung over them, greater than any that had come before.

Suddenly, unbidden, her subconscious woke provided her with one of the most horrifying images she had ever seen.

_She was in the castle. The normally bright skies that provided Canterlot with a beautiful view had been shrouded. Not by clouds, though. By something far more sinister: smoke._

_The normally busy streets of Canterlot were still busy, but with something totally different: hairless apes that covered themselves in rags were storming the streets. In the distance, the normally bright and proud walls had been reduced to rubble, laid low by the humans and their gunpowder._

_The city was ablaze, that much was clear. Where else would the smoke be coming from?_

_But looking around, Celestia could not see any fire. The she realized: the smoke was not coming from the city at all. Rather, it came from the human's guns._

_The human troops were advancing. Forming a brisling line of death, they shot anything that moved: cats, dogs, ...ponies…._

"Princess! CELESTIA!"

Princess Celestia jerked in surprise as Twilight poked her, shaking the alicorn out of her out of her daydream/nightmare.

"Are you alright?" Twilight asked, concern in her voice and face.

Blinking dumbly for a few seconds, Princess Celestia managed to regain enough control of her brain to function semi-normally again. Immediately, her thoughts went to the vision she had seen.

An alicorn's nightmares were never false. Over the course of over a thousand years, Princess Celestia had experienced precisely six nightmares. Each one turned out to be a fairly accurate measure of things to come. But if this one was true, too…

_No,_ came the thought. _I will not allow that to happen. Not in a million years._ With the thought came a grim determination. _As long as I'm Princess, no human will _ever _wield a gun in Canterlot. No, forget that. No human will even set hoof in Canterlot!_

Princess Celestia turned to her former student, allowing a stern posture to be let through.

"If they come," she said, attaching great weight to each of her words, "then may whatever God they believe in have mercy on their souls."


	3. The Years Before the Storm, Part I

The Years Before the Storm: Part I

_The Nineteenth Century: The Saga of Equestria_

_September 23, 1806_

_St. Louis, Missouri_

A cheer came from the thirty-odd explores as the town of St. Louis came into view. The tired, hungry, and filthy explores suddenly felt an explosion of energy as they saw civilization again. Lewis and Clark were barely able to control the people under them as they re-entered what they thought of as civilization.

After another hour or so of walking, the explorers finally entered the town. Lewis quickly started looking around, looking for the postmaster general. After a few minutes of looking around, he found him in a new, but rather poorly built building.

Walking in, he looked at the older gentleman and asked, "Are you the postmaster?"

The other man looked up, took in Lewis and his clothing, then looked back at his work and said, "Yes. What of it?"

"Hold the mail for a few hours. I have an urgent message to write to President Jefferson."

* * *

><p><em>January 3, 1807<em>

"Meriwether Lewis," said the man across from him, gesturing to a piece of paper that sat on the desk that separated them. "Is this true?"

Lewis stiffened his spine a little. After all, it was probably a good idea for his future career to show respect to the President of the United States.

"Every word, so help me God, is written exactly as it happened."

President Jefferson let out a long sigh. "So it is true, then, that the Corps of Discovery encountered a nation of 'griffons,' torn straight from ancient Greek mythology?"

"Yes, sir,"

"It is also true that you also encountered a talking, sentient horse, one that looked like a cross between a 'pegasus' and an 'unicorn,' who claimed to be from a neighboring land, Equestria?"

"Yes, sir."

"So then it is also true," said Jefferson, a harder note entering his voice, "that, in discussions with them, they reacted poorly to the show of guns, exploding when you tried to give them an American flag?"

Lewis, feeling a single drop of sweat roll down his forehead, nodded once, slowly. "...yes...sir."

Jefferson, in an uncharacteristic display of anger, slapped the desk. "Dammit, Lewis! That was foolish!"

The President stood up violently, tipping his chair over. He walked over to the window, looking out of Washington, DC. After a long moment, he turned to Lewis and asked, "Do you know where this 'Equestria' is?"

"No, sir."

"Very well. I suppose I'll go to Congress, ask permission to outfit another two expeditions. You are to be thanked, you have performed a valuable service for your country. Dismissed."

The explored started to leave, but the President called, "Lewis?"

He paused.

"Not a word to anybody about what you discovered. Not a single word."

* * *

><p><em>Back in the Kingdom of Griffonia, August 12, 1807<em>

King Odrynn sat on his throne, as his aides gave him all kinds of reports.

"Any word from our scouts?" he asked.

"No, sir. No expedition to date has found any of these creatures."

Odrynn sighed, holding his face in his claws. "And Equestria?"

"Princess Celestia is just outside, patiently awaiting entry."

"Fine. Send her in."

The aide rushed off, and the King heard the door boom shut behind her.

_What is happening? I know I asked to meet with Princess Celestia, but still. Two years ago, I was planning to attack them! And here we are…_

His thoughts were interrupted by the door opening, and not one, but three alicorns walking in. Princess Luna and Twilight walked alongside the Princess of the Sun, and the King somehow managed to get both more angry and calmer at the same time.

Bringing Twilight was a wise maneuver, for King Odrynn almost thought of her as a friend. Plus, Twilight was the one who had managed to somewhat thaw the chilled relations between the two rival powers.

Rising, the King paid his respects to the rulers of Equestria, even as they did so to him, as well. Once that business was completed, he remarked, "I didn't expect to see all of you."

"My apologies," Princess Celestia said smoothly. "But any treaty made by Equestria has to be ratified by all of us. It seemed only prudent that my sister and former student accompanied me."

King Odrynn stared for a moment, then burst out laughing.

"What is so funny?" asked Princess Luna.

"Irony. Just two years, probably fewer, ago, I was gathering my troops, planning to strike while you were still weak from Tirek. And now, here we are. Civilly meeting, planning to work together against a common foe."

* * *

><p>"Well, that was an interesting experience," remarked Princess Celestia.<p>

"You did not exaggerate, Twilight," added Princess Luna. "King Odrynn really _is_ as stubborn as your reports said."

"Well, at least that is over with," Celestia said, as she watched the sun go down. "Now, we can get back to Equestria, continue with...oh, no."

Twilight blinked, following her gaze. Once she saw what Princess Celestia was looking at, she also felt the same sinking feeling as her former mentor.

For, walking through the city, there was a full dozen humans. Ten of them carried those guns, and they walked swiftly, and with a purpose.

"Well, crap," muttered Luna. "I presume these are the creatures you spoke of, Princess Twilight?"

"Yes," said Twilight, more shocked then she probably had a right to be. After all, the humans did say that they planned to open diplomatic ties.

As the humans approached the building, griffons of all kinds shied away from the strangers. Thus, their path was fairly unobstructed as they approached the capital's doors.

The doors opened with a somewhat loud protest, as if they knew that nobody inside wanted the humans to enter. Regardless, enter they did, and they quickly found themselves snout-to-beak with two guards, who blocked their way.

"Pardon me," said one of them, slightly sarcastically, "but you do not have an appointment with King Odrynn, do you?"

One of the unarmed humans on the left quickly said, "No, sir. However, we respectfully request audience with your King."

The soldier grunted, then said, "And who shall I say has come?"

The other human replied, "I am President Jefferson, of the United States of America."

The griffon guards blinked, then the one on the left said, "I shall inform the King of your petition. In the meantime, we ask that your troops remove themselves from this area, in the name of cooperation."

Jefferson nodded, then gestured. Somewhat slowly, the armed humans retreated. As they did, the griffon on the left slowly backed away, going deeper into the palace. Soon, he returned, wearing a perfectly passive look, and said, "King Odrynn will see you now. He requests that you leave all weapons you may have at the door. Also," the griffon turned, addressing Celestia, Luna and Twilight, "he requests that the delegation from Equestria joins him in these discussions."

If Jefferson was irked or irritated at this, he hid it well. "Very well," he said, walking forward and following the lead of the soldier. Princess Celestia followed, with her two equals right on her hooves.

When they entered the throne room, Celestia caught the eye of the King. He hid it well. A lesser diplomat would have never seen it, but Celestia's eye had over one thousand eyes of diplomatic experience. She could clearly see the first traces of fear in the King.

"Greetings," the King said smoothly. "How may I be of service?"

The two humans hesitated for a split second, then Jefferson seized the lead. "Good day. I am President Thomas Jefferson, and this is my Secretary of State, James Madison. We represent the United States of America."

The Griffon King bowed his head slightly, saying, "And I am King Odrynn. Pleased to meet you." After a moment, he said "Welcome to Griffonia. I would like to ask, What is the purpose of your coming here?"

"To establish a diplomatic presence in this...fine nation," said James Madison. Twilight and Celestia both noticed a slight change in the human's inflection.

King Odrynn noticed it as well, then gave Celestia a subtle look. Princess Celestia smiled very softly, then nodded almost invisibly. She then stepped forward, cleared her throat, and said, "You are from the United States?"

"Yes," said the President. "And I would, right now, like to apologize on behalf of the United States for any...rash...actions performed by the Corps of Discovery. Know that they were a long way from home, in territory alien to them, confronted by a species that we have always thought to be myth."

The griffon softened slightly, then said, "I understand. I suppose we can look past the incident. Hopefully, neither of us will have the misfortune of an incident like that ever happening again."

President Jefferson nodded, with a somewhat relieved expression. Celestia, however, didn't quite buy the look of relief, Something was wrong.

Putting her misgivings aside, she stepped forward, only to draw the attention of Secretary of State Madison. He turned to the Princess Celestia, saying, "And what of you Princesses? We also wish to open discussions with your 'Equestria.' Where is the nation?"

Celestia blinked, then responded, "All in due time. First and foremost, we would like to know what this 'opening of relations' entails."

"I would like to know that as well," added King Odrynn.

President Jefferson nodded, saying, "Traditionally, it means opening an embassy on your soil. This embassy would be considered part of the United State's territory, and should be treated as such."

The King appeared slightly offset by this, not that Celestia blamed him. Noticing the slight change in the griffon's posture, President Jefferson quickly amended his statement, saying, "This would give diplomats of the United States the authority to act without fear of influence from any armed forces or governments. Please, do not take this as an insult on your independence. It is simply standard procedure."

The King didn't look very reassured, but he nodded anyways.

Trying to break the awkward silence, the President said, "Well, I suppose that we need to form plans to build the embassy."

The King nodded somewhat absentmindedly, not doubt attempting to come up with a valid excuse to deny the request. After a few minutes, he appeared to have failed to divine it, as he blinked, then said, "Very well. I must, however, insist that you allow a detachment of troops to be posted at the site of the work at all times. As well, I wish to see the plan for the embassy before work begins. This should be agreeable to you, yes?"

The President hesitated for a brief second, then nodded. "It is agreed."

"Very well. Now, if you will excuse me, President, I must hold council with the Equestrian delegation. Good day."

* * *

><p>The doors of the palace boomed shut, echoing forebodingly across the hall.<p>

"So," the King said, shifting in his throne. "What do you think?"

"I think it is strange that the head of their nation traveled, by my calculations, all the way across the continent just to open diplomatic ties," mulled Luna. "Isn't that a job for a much lower-ranked diplomat?"

"You come all the way from Equestria to meet me," pointed out King Ordynn.

"True, but that's different. It's not a very long trip, especially as the Alicorn flies. At the rate these humans walk, though, it must take several weeks to arrive here."

"Hmm," replied Celestia, filing the thought away in her mind for future pondering. After a few moments, she said, "Well, now King Ordynn, now are you open to idea of a non-aggression pact? We do have bigger threats than each other."

The King's expression soured, his eyebrows coming together into a line. As this expression grew, Celestia held up a hoof, saying, with a flash of irritation, "Please, spare my fellow Princesses and myself the displeasure of listening to your upcoming essay-length rant and tell us, in as few words as possible and minimum shouting, why you cannot even consider a diplomatic understanding with us."

The King hesitated for a moment, his mouth open, as the momentum of his tirade was brought to an abrupt and sudden halt by Celestia's oddly blunt question. After blinking in a matter ill-suited for a king for a few moments, he quickly closed his mouth, trying to recover after having his mind somewhat blown by Celestia.

"Well," he said, slowly, "to put it bluntly, my population neither trusts nor respects you or your realm. In addition, I am not certain that these 'humans' pose a threat to this realm. No, the Kingdom will, for now at least, weather this change on its own."

"Fine," said Luna, almost spitting the word out. Before she could say more, though, Celestia gently put a hoof on her shoulder, stopping her words. While this was unfolding, Princess Twilight watched it all, with something of a disappointed look.

"I believe our business here has concluded," said Celestia, turning to the door. Her two fellow Princesses followed her.

* * *

><p><em>In the Congress of the United States, May 22, 1808 (closed session)<em>

"...and Senator Samuel L. Mitchill, of New York." Having finished the roll call of senators, Vice President George Clinton looked around at the thirty-four representatives of the states, then said, "Before we began formally and open the Senate to public observation, we have news. The expedition that this Senate authorized over a year ago has returned home, finding nothing, and with over half dead. It appears that they encountered the Wichita savages, and had a...slight misunderstanding."

The room seemed to let out a collective sigh.

"As such, our search of this reported 'Equestria' has, _de facto,_ been cut short."

"We cannot afford to continue this foolishness," said Democratic-Republican Samuel Maclay. "Whether this land exists or not, we need to worry about Great Britain now. In addition, we can no longer afford to throw precious money at this fool's errand!"

"I am inclined to agree," said the Vice President. "As such, I propose the following: the Senate will table this issue until our disputes with Great Britain are addressed. All attempts to make contact with this 'Equestria' will cease. However, the United States _will_ maintain a diplomatic presence in 'Griffonia,' and keep a proverbial ear to the ground. Let us address the threat of Great Britain first."

There was much nodding from the Democratic-Republicans. There was less enthusiasm from the Federalists, but they also seemed to accept the fact that other needs had to come first.

"We will put the matter to a vote next session. Do remember, this is a closed session of the Senate, and all topics discussed are classified."

"Now, if there is no other business to discuss behind closed doors, the Senate will now enter open session."


End file.
